Arsenal win Women’s Champions League in last glory and dethrone Barcelona

Euphoria. Complete and utter euphoria. Stina Blackstenius’s second-half purpose surprised the three-time European champions Barcelona to ship Arsenal’s moment European identify. On the overall whistle it was once pink and white pandemonium as surprised Gunners looked as if it would now not know what to do with themselves.

Arsenal were given as shut as they may to bottling historical past and feeding it to the gamers within the buildup: there was once a lunch with the 2007 European champions, notes from enthusiasts, team of workers and the neighborhood had been pinned to a wall for them to peruse prior to their flight, and emotion-packed movies of who they’re, the place they have got been and the shoulders they stand on set the tone.

Yet on the Estádio José Alvalade, expectancies of a outcome had been low, a glimmer of hope delivered through the gutsy second-leg comebacks towards Real Madrid and Lyon, within the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively, and the chic method they have got performed from time to time this season.

A way of a laugh and pleasure was once born from the broader temper across the fixture and that spirit was once glaring at the pitch too. There was once a fearlessness about Arsenal: as an alternative of resorting to a double pivot towards the holders, Renée Slegers caught with a method that had labored for them in the second one leg in their semi-final towards Lyon and Manchester United at the last day of the Women’s Super League season. Arsenal weren’t in Lisbon to take a seat again, they had been there to take the sport to the Catalan giants and their urgent play and organisation within the opening half of was once very good.

The scuffling with play and freedom with which they performed it obviously pissed off the champions and Slegers’ facet had the easier possibilities of the half of: Caitlin Foord’s header extensive of the a long way put up, Chloe Kelly’s volley over the bar, a disallowed personal purpose with Kelly offside within the increase and Cata Coll’s save from Frida Maanum, all shut however now not shut sufficient.

The severe perspective Arsenal as an entire have taken against the ladies’s crew was once glaring within the stands – the co-chairman Josh Kroenke had come from Denver to enroll in diverse contributors of the hierarchy and David Dein, the previous vice-chairman and previous president of the ladies’s crew. That stood in sharp distinction to the indifference proven to Manchester United Women through their minority proprietor, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose absence on the previous two FA Cup finals was once broadly derided.

Reaching the ruin with the sport goalless was once an fulfillment towards a Barcelona facet taking part in their 100th Champions League sport, their first coincidentally towards Arsenal within the 2012-13 final 32.

The Blaugrana, in search of a hat-trick of wins, stepped up a equipment in the second one half of however Arsenal’s defence, which shipped 12 objectives of their last 3 video games of the WSL season, stood company.

They wanted one likelihood, one break out into the Barça half of, and it got here within the 74th minute. A unprecedented Arsenal nook was once cleared however labored again in to the previous Barça participant Mariona Caldentey, who paused prior to discovering Beth Mead soaring at the fringe of the field. The England ahead performed in her fellow change Blackstenius and the Swede fired low previous Coll.

Barcelona had been certain it was once offside, but it surely wasn’t, the gang jeered, the pocket of Arsenal enthusiasts roared, and the crew this is king of the darkish arts, of slowing a sport, stifling play and disrupting momentum began to be given a style of their very own drugs.

The Barcelona enthusiasts were the loudest all through, but it surely was once the nook of 5,000 plus Arsenal enthusiasts that rocked the stadium on the shut.